Written Answers Wednesday 6 January 2010

Scottish Executive

Alcohol

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the anticipated impact is of minimum pricing on the export of Scotch whisky.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Alcohol etc (Scotland) Bill proposes that a minimum price would apply as a condition of premises or occasional licences granted under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005. Minimum pricing would not apply to, or impact upon, alcohol exported from Scotland.

Ambulance Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29652 by Nicola Sturgeon on 11 December 2009, what savings plans have been put in place by the Scottish Ambulance Service in order to break even in 2009-10.

Nicola Sturgeon: Efficiency savings are a key component of financial plans contributing to the overall financial performance of NHS boards. All boards, including the Scottish Ambulance Service, have savings plans. The Scottish Ambulance Service is forecasting to deliver £6.9 million in-year efficiency savings (2009-10).

Cancer

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to facilitate the early diagnosis of breast cancer.

Nicola Sturgeon: All women aged between 50-70 years of age are invited for breast screening every three years. Women aged 70 and over are able to request breast screening by contacting their local breast screening centre.

  The Scottish Cancer Taskforce has discussed how awareness raising could be improved and further action will be considered at a workshop to be held early in 2010.

Cancer

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29783 by Nicola Sturgeon on 11 December 2009, whether the Information Services Division will analyse and publish information on uptake rates for breast screening in deprived areas on an annual basis.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information Services Division (ISD) have published information on uptake rates for breast screening in deprived areas from years 1999-2001. ISD plans to undertake a further analysis of this information, up to screening year 2007-08, and publish this information on their website in July 2010. Thereafter, ISD will report this information on a three-yearly basis.

Civil Service Relocation

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to relocate any of its directorates and agencies to the North Lanarkshire local authority area.

John Swinney: Decisions about the relocation of Scottish Government functions will be considered in terms of ensuring the best use of the existing government estate, providing best value for money for the Scottish Government as a whole and maintaining or improving the operational effectiveness of the function in question.

  At present there are no plans to relocate any Scottish Government directorates or agencies to North Lanarkshire.

Flooding

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will instruct the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to provide compensation to farmers and land managers affected by flooding in cases where the primary reason for the flooding was related to SEPA prohibiting a land manager from carrying out activities aimed at preventing flooding, for example not allowing the clearing out of a drainage ditch due to the presence of a particular aquatic species.

Roseanna Cunningham: SEPA will authorise applications made under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Act 2005 (CAR) for activities which clearly demonstrate improvements in flood risk management.

  When considering CAR licence applications, SEPA takes into account the social, economic and environmental impacts of such works, including impacts on protected species, aiming to strike a balance between all these factors. There is no provision for compensation to be paid by either SEPA or the Scottish Government for farmers and land managers affected by flooding.

Flooding

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether areas with the highest number of properties at risk of flooding will be given priority in future funding allocations to local authorities.

Roseanna Cunningham: Yes, the distribution of resources, agreed with COSLA on behalf of all local authorities, for flood risk management included within the General Capital Grant, takes account of a number of specific commitments for flood prevention schemes. The balance of available resources, which as a proportion of the total funding will increase over time as the specific commitments are completed, are already distributed based upon the number of properties at risk of flooding in each council area.

Flooding

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in addition to consideration of the number of properties at risk of flooding, susceptibility to a higher frequency of flooding will be a criterion in prioritising future flood alleviation funding.

Roseanna Cunningham: It is unlikely that national information on the susceptibility to flooding at a higher frequency than the 0.5% annual probability shown on the published Indicative Flood Map would be available before the next spending review.

  The outcomes of flood risk assessment, flood hazard and flood risk mapping, and flood risk management plans to be prepared under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 may inform discussion with COSLA about resource distribution in future spending reviews.

Flooding

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many properties are regarded to be at risk of flooding, broken down by local authority area.

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive where Moray ranks in terms of areas with properties at risk of flooding.

Roseanna Cunningham: Properties within the one in 200 years (0.5% annual probability of occurrence) fluvial and coastal flood zone depicted on SEPA’s Indicative Flood Map and not protected to that level by flood prevention schemes as at May 2007 were published in Impact of Flooding in Scotland by the Scottish Government in September 2007. The figures broken down by local authority are tabulated below.

  

Local Authority
Fluvial Zone
Coastal Zone
Total


Glasgow City
11,749
1,452
13,201


Falkirk
4,289
6,215
10,504


City of Edinburgh
6,664
1,871
8,535


Scottish Borders
4,705
70
4,775


North Ayrshire
3,531
732
4,263


Perth and Kinross
3,992
72
4,064


Fife
2,392
1,531
3,923


West Dunbartonshire
2,326
1,300
3,626


Moray
3,507
117
3,624


Highland
2,276
1,300
3,576


East Ayrshire
3,417
0
3,417


East Lothian
887
2,438
3,325


Stirling
2,996
251
3,247


Aberdeenshire
2,117
446
2,563


South Ayrshire
804
1,479
2,283


Argyll and Bute
602
1,443
2,045


Dumfries and Galloway
1,641
398
2,039


Angus
1,021
908
1,929


East Dunbartonshire
1,879
0
1,879


Dundee City
314
1,147
1,461


South Lanarkshire
1,153
97
1,250


North Lanarkshire
1,190
5
1,195


Inverclyde
620
540
1,160


Clackmannanshire
1,128
21
1,149


Aberdeen City
1,041
74
1,115


East Renfrewshire
851
0
851


West Lothian
772
0
772


Eilan Siar
74
442
516


Midlothian
351
0
351


Orkney
16
326
342


Shetland 
15
126
141


Scotland
73,313
26,181
99,494

Flooding

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what flood alleviation schemes secured funding in (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (b) 2009.

Roseanna Cunningham: The former ring-fenced flood prevention grant was rolled up into the General Capital Grant from 1 April 2008. Allocation of resources for flood prevention schemes after this date is a matter for individual local authorities.

  The construction of the following flood prevention schemes were supported by flood prevention grant in 2007-08; Bo’ness, Braid Burn (Edinburgh), Dunfermline, Earnbank, Forres (Burn of Mosset), Galston, Golf Gardens (Larkhall), Kelvin, Lhanbryde, Linlithgow, Milnathort, Saltcoats, Weem and White Cart (Reservoirs). Where applicable, further instalments of flood prevention grant for these schemes becoming due in the years 2008-2011 were recognised in setting the level of General Capital Grant in those years.

  Flood prevention grant was also awarded in 2007-08 for preparatory costs of schemes at Broxburn, North Renfrew and Water of Leith. The estimated costs of these schemes and other known schemes at Elgin, Dunoon, Dumbarton, Rothes, South West Inverness and White Cart (Urban Corridor) were taken into account in the distribution of General Capital Grant for the years 2008-11.

Flooding

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to ring-fence flood alleviation funding in the next spending review.

Roseanna Cunningham: No. The government have agreed with COSLA that there will be no change to the distribution methodology for capital funding for flood prevention.

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many endoscopy clinics are located in primary care settings.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information provided by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland advises there are 12 endoscopy clinics in primary care settings.

  

NHS Dumfries and Galloway
Galloway Community Hospital


NHS Fife
St Andrews Memorial Hospital


NHS Grampian
Inverurie Hospital and Huntly Community 
Chalmers Hospital and Turriff Hospital 
Kincardine Community Hospital and Aboyne Community Hospital
Peterhead Community Hospital


NHS Highland
Caithness General Hospital
  Lawson Memorial Hospital 
  MacKinnon Memorial Hospital (Skye)
Lorne and Island District Hospital


NHS Lothian
Roodlands General Hospital 
Leith Community Treatment Centre

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to increase the number of endoscopy clinics in primary care settings.

Nicola Sturgeon: Each NHS board has responsibility for the planning and provision of health services in its area, based on an assessment of need and in accordance with local and national priorities.

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive where light-induced fluorescence endoscopy systems are available in the NHS

Nicola Sturgeon: Whilst research has been undertaken into light-induced fluorescence endoscopy, no such systems are currently available to patients in NHS Scotland.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many private landlords were refused registration in 2008-09, broken down by local authority.

Alex Neil: Details are as follows:

  

Local Authority
Number of Applications Refused in 2008-09


Clackmannanshire
1


East Ayrshire
1


East Renfrewshire
1


Glasgow City
1


North Ayrshire
2


Orkney
3


Renfrewshire
1


West Lothian
1

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many landlords were involuntarily removed from the landlord register in 2008-09, broken down by local authority.

Alex Neil: In 2008-09, one landlord was involuntarily removed from the register by East Ayrshire Council.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what means it has put in place to evaluate the landlord registration scheme.

Alex Neil: We have committed to an evaluation of the landlord registration scheme in 2010, which will look at the overall impact that registration has had in the private rented sector.

Housing

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered social landlords were inspected by the Scottish Housing Regulator in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09.

Alex Neil: I have asked Michael Cameron, Acting Chief Executive of the Scottish Housing Regulator to respond. His response is as follows:

  (a) The Scottish Housing Regulator came into operation on 1 April 2008, following the dissolution of Communities Scotland. During 2007-08, Communities Scotland completed the inspection of nine registered social landlords.

  (b) During 2008-09, the Scottish Housing Regulator completed the inspection of nine registered social landlords.

Housing

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimate is of the number of registered social landlords to be inspected by the Scottish Housing Regulator in 2010-11.

Alex Neil: I have asked Michael Cameron, Acting Chief Executive of the Scottish Housing Regulator to respond. His response is as follows:

  In line with our risk-based approach to inspection, we no longer undertake cyclical inspections of registered social landlords (RSLs). We will determine our regulatory engagement with RSLs following our annual assessment of risk in the spring. Our regulatory engagement can include inspection.

Housing

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-25643 by Alex Neil on 5 August 2009, who the members are of the working group on housing investment reform.

Alex Neil: Details of the membership of both investment reform working groups, along with the minutes and papers discussed at the meetings, are available from the Scottish Government’s website  www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/investment/affordable .

Housing

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many housing associations and housing co-operatives were not inspected by Communities Scotland in its capacity as regulator.

Alex Neil: I have asked Michael Cameron, Acting Chief Executive of the Scottish Housing Regulator to respond. His response is as follows:

  Of the registered social landlords currently registered with the Scottish Housing Regulator, 65 were inspected by Communities Scotland in its capacity as regulator and 97 were not.

Housing

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many housing associations and housing co-operatives have never received inspection visits from the Scottish Housing Regulator.

Alex Neil: I have asked Michael Cameron, Acting Chief Executive of the Scottish Housing Regulator to respond. His response is as follows:

  Of the housing associations and housing co-operatives currently registered with the Scottish Housing Regulator, 14 have received inspection visits from the Scottish Housing Regulator and 148 have not.

Influenza

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive who was involved in making the decision that district nurses would administer the influenza A (H1N1) vaccine to at-risk groups who are housebound or in care homes and whether the NHS partnership process was followed in making this decision.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government Health Directorate (SGHD) and Health Protection Scotland (HPS) have worked closely with NHS boards on planning for the influenza A (H1N1) vaccination programme. This has included approval of local service delivery models at a national level, and the SGHD and HPS continue to have weekly engagement with NHS boards to monitor the progress of the vaccination programme.

  NHS boards are responsible for managing the NHS partnership process within their local area and the workload of their staff involved in the delivery of the vaccination programme. NHS boards mainly used existing arrangements in place for the annual seasonal influenza vaccination programme.

NHS Boards

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers the formal public consultation that NHS Dumfries and Galloway is undertaking on service delivery change to be a statutory requirement or an administrative requirement imposed by ministers.

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the principles of administrative justice and law apply to the formal public consultation on service delivery change being undertaken by NHS Dumfries and Galloway.

Nicola Sturgeon: The National Health Service Reform (Scotland) Act 2004 introduced a duty on NHS boards to consult with local people on the planning and development of healthcare services; and on decisions to be made by boards that would significantly affect the operation of healthcare services.

NHS Boards

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is appropriate for NHS Dumfries and Galloway, while undertaking a formal public consultation on service delivery change, to develop new or more detailed proposals and arguments on aspects of the changes without resubmitting them to full public consultation and extending the consultation period to enable this to be done.

Nicola Sturgeon: I expect all NHS boards to conduct formal public consultation on major service changes in line with national guidance on informing and engaging the public. As in all cases of major service change, I will receive a report on the adequacy of NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s public consultation process from the Scottish Health Council in due course.

NHS Finance

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29585 by Nicola Sturgeon on 11 December 2009, which NHS boards have implemented savings plans to break even in 2009-10 and what the scale is of those savings, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: Efficiency savings are a key component of financial plans contributing to the overall financial performance of NHS boards. All boards have savings plans and all boards continue to forecast either breakeven or an underspend in 2009-10. The following table provides an analysis of in-year efficiency savings (2009-10), broken down by NHS board.

  Every penny of the efficiency savings made by NHS boards is retained and reinvested by the board in frontline patient care.

  Efficiency Savings (2009-10)

  

NHS Boards
Forecast (£m)


Ayrshire and Arran 
11.3


Borders 
5.1


Dumfries and Galloway 
4.8


Fife 
10.1


Forth Valley 
9.0


Grampian 
17.3


Greater Glasgow 
49.4


Highland 
15.6


Lanarkshire 
15.8


Lothian 
24.8


Orkney 
1.7


Shetland 
1.2


Tayside 
14.1


Western Isles 
1.8


NHS Boards Total
181.8


NHS Special Health Boards
 


Scottish Ambulance Service
6.9


National Services Scotland
5.6


NHS 24
1.2


The State Hospital
1.3


National Waiting Times Centre Board
0.8


NHS Education Scotland
0.9


NHS Health Scotland
0.4


Quality Improvement Scotland
0.1


NHS Special Health Boards Total
17.2


Grand Total
199.0

NHS Finance

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the Audit Scotland report, Overview of the NHS in Scotland’s performance 2008/09 , on 10 December 2009, what its position is on the forecast by NHS bodies that, for 2009-10, they will need to make more than £175 million in recurring and £25 million in non-recurring efficiency savings.

Nicola Sturgeon: Efficiency savings are a key component of financial plans and contribute towards overall financial performance. NHS Scotland boards are currently forecasting delivery of additional efficiency savings of £199 million for 2009-10, exceeding the in-year target of £159 million by £40 million.

  All boards are projecting either financial breakeven or an underspend in 2009-10.

  Every penny of the efficiency savings made by NHS boards is retained and reinvested by the board in frontline patient care.

NHS Staff

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether every senior charge nurse has direct responsibility for the deployment of cleaning staff.

Nicola Sturgeon: Leading Better Care identifies the senior charge nurse’s (SCN) role and responsibilities to promote a clean and safe environment for staff, patients and visitors by ensuring compliance with legislation, policies and protocols, including health and safety, healthcare associated infection, risk management and critical incident reporting and analysis.

  SCNs are the guardians of quality and clinical standards in their areas of responsibility and have a key responsibility with regard to ensuring the cleanliness of their clinical areas.

NHS Staff

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether every senior charge nurse has a budget and direct responsibility for deploying it.

Nicola Sturgeon: Leading Better Care sets out the senior charge nurse’s (SCNs) role and responsibilities with regard to managing the practice setting including the effective use of resources and contributing to the management of the ward/department budget. The SCNs role as an empowered clinical leader and guardian of care quality means that they have a key responsibility in relation to the best use of the resources under their control, including having direct access to budgets for urgent repairs and replacement of equipment as required under the healthcare associated infection national action plan.

NHS Staff

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27844 by Nicola Sturgeon on 26 October 2009, whether it will provide a breakdown by seniority point of those consultants receiving a distinction award at level A+ in 2009.

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27844 by Nicola Sturgeon on 26 October 2009, whether it will provide a breakdown by seniority point of those consultants receiving a distinction award at level A in 2009.

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27844 by Nicola Sturgeon on 26 October 2009, whether it will provide a breakdown by seniority point of those consultants receiving a distinction award at level B in 2009.

Nicola Sturgeon: The answer to S3W-27844 gave a breakdown of the total number of distinction awards held by NHS consultants in Scotland in 2009. It is not possible to provide information in relation to the seniority points of the consultants holding these awards. However, to be considered for an award, a consultant must be on at least point 5 of their salary scale. Further information on seniority points is not held centrally nor by the Scottish Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards (SACDA), who are responsible for managing the scheme.

NHS Staff

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS consultants received a discretionary points award at each level from one to eight in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by seniority point.

Nicola Sturgeon: The discretionary points scheme in Scotland is managed and run by NHS Scotland boards. The information requested is not held centrally. It may be possible to obtain information from payroll managers at individual health boards, if requested.

National Health Service

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list items lost or stolen from NHS hospitals or services in the last two years, broken down by (a) date lost or stolen, (b) date reported and (c) value of the loss.

The Executive has supplied the following corrected answer:

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government does not collect information on individual losses or thefts from NHS hospitals and the dates they are reported but this information should be held on individual Board Loss Registers. We do however obtain a summary report on such losses from boards each year advising of the number of losses and their total value and the totals reported are shown in the following table.

  

 
Number of Incidents
2007-08 £
Number of Incidents
2008-09 £


NHS Ayrshire and Arran
564
97,567
267
51,256


NHS Borders
7
15,000
7
17,049


NHS Dumfries and Galloway
38
22,980
56
66,686


NHS Fife
158
23,463
86
19,722


NHS Forth Valley
35
11,643
77
79,879


NHS Grampian
10
20,313
11
25,774


NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
0
0
10
27,000


NHS Highland
12
3,920
6
787


NHS Lanarkshire
42
9,059
447
66,132


NHS Lothian
65
124,753
29
15,707


NHS Orkney
3
1,236
4
2,016


NHS Shetland
189
1,326
158
4,701


NHS Tayside
107
48,228
99
133,750


NHS West Isles
22
12,181
2
12,370


NHS 24 
0
0
70
49


NHS Education Scotland
0
0
1
625


NHS Health
3
9,108
0
0


National Services Scotland
1
300
0
0


Total Losses
1,256
401,077
1,330
523,503